Ketura Sun
Encyclopedia
Ketura Sun is Israel’s
first commercial solar field. Built in early 2011 by the Arava Power Company
on Kibbutz Ketura, Ketura Sun covers twenty acres and is expected to produce green energy amounting to 4.95 megawatts. The field consists of 18,500 photovoltaic
panels made by Suntech
, which will produce about nine million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. In the next twenty years, the field will spare the production of some 125,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The field will soon be connected to Israel’s national power grid, and the electricity generated will power nearby kibbutzim.
, Arava Power has chosen his image as the symbol for the first Israeli solar field. The Solar Canvas will be visible from the windows of planes making their way to and from Eilat and Aqaba
, from the mountains surrounding the Arava Valley
and on Google Earth
. Lavie designed the Ben Gurion icon and formed the image from crushed asphalt from the Southern region. Initially intended for waste, the Solar Canvas recycles the asphalt and gives this material new life.
’s rules for Tzedakah
(charitable giving) is the uniquely Jewish law of Pe'ah
. Pe'ah requires that the four corners of any field be left untouched by harvesters and saved for the poor to glean. Arava Power Company is giving Pe'ah a modern twist, dedicating the four corners of the Ketura Sun solar field to four different non-profit organizations that will benefit from the funds earned by each corner for the next 20 years.
The four organizations chosen by Arava Power are:
created by Kibbutz Ketura artist, Gil Aruch, at the entrance to the field. The biblical story of Ruth is one of tolerance, social-religious acceptance and justice. The Royal Tribe of Judah accepts Ruth the Moabite, the convert who comes from a foreign culture and enemy land. It was Ruth who originated the custom of ‘‘pe’ah’’.
in which each sundial represents a socio-cultural value. These values are prominent in the three main monotheistic
religions (Christianity
, Islam
, and Judaism
), and in other religions and cultures worldwide. On these sundials it is possible to view the time of day according to the sunlight by inserting a finger at the center of the dial and tilting it approximately 50 ˚ to the north. ‘Meridians’ are one of the names for the bars that cast a shadow on the sundial, an idea that originates from the location of the meridian arc
(an imaginary line that stretches across the globe from the North Pole to the South Pole). Meridians are also an extensive network of cross-channels of life energy in the human body. Danny Lavie, the same artist who developed the Solar Canvas, also developed the sundials for Arava Power Company. The values Arava Power Company has chosen to feature on these unique sundials created are: Peace, Respect, Sustainability, Choosing life, Redemption, Responsibility, Diversity, Love, Amity, Leadership, Sensitivity, Mindfulness, Listening, Vision.
, where Ketura Sun is situated, only 4,000 people live on 13% of Israel’s land. The construction of solar fields creates jobs (by some estimates 100 jobs per megawatt) and gives incentives to individuals and families to move to the area – thereby helping to fulfill another of Ben-Gurion’s dreams of populating the Negev
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
first commercial solar field. Built in early 2011 by the Arava Power Company
Arava Power Company
David Rosenblatt of New Jersey, Ed Hofland of Kibbutz Ketura, and Yosef Abramowitz founded the Arava Power Company on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava Valley in 2006. APC has declared that its mission is to supply Israel with 10% of its energy needs through clean, renewable solar energy. On June 5,...
on Kibbutz Ketura, Ketura Sun covers twenty acres and is expected to produce green energy amounting to 4.95 megawatts. The field consists of 18,500 photovoltaic
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
panels made by Suntech
Suntech Power
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is the world's largest producer of solar panels, with 1,800MW of annual production capacity by the end of 2010. With offices or production facilities in every major market, Suntech has delivered more than 13,000,000 solar panels to thousands of companies in more...
, which will produce about nine million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. In the next twenty years, the field will spare the production of some 125,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The field will soon be connected to Israel’s national power grid, and the electricity generated will power nearby kibbutzim.
Solar Canvas
Ketura Sun features the Solar Canvas, which was designed and developed for the Arava Power Company by artist Danny Lavie. To honor the vision and leadership of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-GurionDavid Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
, Arava Power has chosen his image as the symbol for the first Israeli solar field. The Solar Canvas will be visible from the windows of planes making their way to and from Eilat and Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
, from the mountains surrounding the Arava Valley
Arabah
The Arabah , also known as Aravah, is a section of the Great Rift Valley running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. It includes most of the border between Israel to the...
and on Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
. Lavie designed the Ben Gurion icon and formed the image from crushed asphalt from the Southern region. Initially intended for waste, the Solar Canvas recycles the asphalt and gives this material new life.
Pe'ah
Within the TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
’s rules for Tzedakah
Tzedakah
Tzedakah or Ṣ'daqah in Classical Hebrew is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on the Hebrew word meaning righteousness, fairness or justice...
(charitable giving) is the uniquely Jewish law of Pe'ah
Pe'ah
Pe'ah is the second tractate of Seder Zeraim of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. The tractate is a fitting continuation of Seder Zeraim. Following the initial subject of blessings and benedictions, instilling an attitude of reverence and gratitude, this tractate begins the discussion of the main...
. Pe'ah requires that the four corners of any field be left untouched by harvesters and saved for the poor to glean. Arava Power Company is giving Pe'ah a modern twist, dedicating the four corners of the Ketura Sun solar field to four different non-profit organizations that will benefit from the funds earned by each corner for the next 20 years.
The four organizations chosen by Arava Power are:
- Jewish Heart for AfricaJewish Heart for AfricaJewish Heart for Africa is a non-profit 501 organization that brings sustainable Israeli technologies to rural African villages. Since the launch of Project Sol in 2008, they have completed more than 38 solar projects in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi, providing light to schools, clinics and...
: An organization which uses Israeli solar systems to power African schools, medical clinics, orphanages and solar powered water pumping systems. - BustanBustan (organization)Bustan is a joint Israeli-Palestinian non-profit organization of eco-builders, architects, academics, and farmers who promote environmental and social justice in Israel/Palestine...
: “An NGO that works with the BedouinBedouinThe Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
of the Negev for fair resource allocation, including renewable energy, as well as social and environmental justice for all peoples in the region.” - Elie Weisel Foundation for Humanity:Elie WieselSir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
“The Foundation's mission is to combat indifference, intolerance and injustice through international dialogue and youth-focused programs that promote acceptance, understanding and equality.” - Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center: Located down the road from Ketura Sun, the Riding Center at Kibbutz Grofit helps disabled children from the region who are in need of therapeutic riding.
Statue of Ruth
Arava Power’s commitment to the law of Pe’ah has been made permanent with the placement of a statue of RuthBook of Ruth
The Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, or Old Testament. In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings . In the Christian canon the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel...
created by Kibbutz Ketura artist, Gil Aruch, at the entrance to the field. The biblical story of Ruth is one of tolerance, social-religious acceptance and justice. The Royal Tribe of Judah accepts Ruth the Moabite, the convert who comes from a foreign culture and enemy land. It was Ruth who originated the custom of ‘‘pe’ah’’.
Meridian Track
The Meridian Track is a trail of sundialsSundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
in which each sundial represents a socio-cultural value. These values are prominent in the three main monotheistic
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
religions (Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
), and in other religions and cultures worldwide. On these sundials it is possible to view the time of day according to the sunlight by inserting a finger at the center of the dial and tilting it approximately 50 ˚ to the north. ‘Meridians’ are one of the names for the bars that cast a shadow on the sundial, an idea that originates from the location of the meridian arc
Meridian (geography)
A meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations along it with a given longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by its latitude. Each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude...
(an imaginary line that stretches across the globe from the North Pole to the South Pole). Meridians are also an extensive network of cross-channels of life energy in the human body. Danny Lavie, the same artist who developed the Solar Canvas, also developed the sundials for Arava Power Company. The values Arava Power Company has chosen to feature on these unique sundials created are: Peace, Respect, Sustainability, Choosing life, Redemption, Responsibility, Diversity, Love, Amity, Leadership, Sensitivity, Mindfulness, Listening, Vision.
Impact on the Region
Solar energy plays an important role in regional and national economic development as well. In the Hevel Eilot regionHevel Eilot Regional Council
Hevel Eilot Regional Council is a regional council in the South District of Israel, near the city of Eilat. It is the southernmost regional council in Israel....
, where Ketura Sun is situated, only 4,000 people live on 13% of Israel’s land. The construction of solar fields creates jobs (by some estimates 100 jobs per megawatt) and gives incentives to individuals and families to move to the area – thereby helping to fulfill another of Ben-Gurion’s dreams of populating the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
.